Biomedical subjects

Robert W Griffin

Publications and source records attributed to Robert W Griffin.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Proteomics-based expression library screening (PELS): a novel method for rapidly defining microbial immunoproteomes.

Current methodologies for global identification of microbial proteins that elicit host humoral immune responses have several limitations and are not ideally suited for use in the postgenomic era. Here we describe a novel application of proteomics, proteomics-based expression library screening, to rapidly define microbial immunoproteomes. Proteomics-based expression library screening is broadly applicable to any cultivable, sequenced pathogen eliciting host antibody responses and hence is ideal for rapidly mining microbial proteomes for targets with diagnostic, prophylactic, and therapeutic potential. In this report, we demonstrate "proof-of-principle" by identifying 207 proteins of the Escherichia coli O157:H7 immunome in bovine reservoirs in only 3 weeks.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Use of in vivo-induced antigen technology for identification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 proteins expressed during human infection.

Using in vivo-induced antigen technology (IVIAT), a modified immunoscreening technique that circumvents the need for animal models, we directly identified immunogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) proteins expressed either specifically during human infection but not during growth under standard laboratory conditions or at significantly higher levels in vivo than in vitro. IVIAT identified 223 O157 proteins expressed during human infection, several of which were unique to this study. These in vivo-induced (ivi) proteins, encoded by ivi genes, mapped to the backbone, O islands (OIs), and pO157. Lack of in vitro expression of O157-specific ivi proteins was confirmed by proteomic analysis of a mid-exponential-phase culture of E. coli O157 grown in LB broth. Because ivi proteins are expressed in response to specific cues during infection and might help pathogens adapt to and counter hostile in vivo environments, those identified in this study are potential targets for drug and vaccine development. Also, such proteins may be exploited as markers of O157 infection in stool specimens.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed2005

Identification of a protein subset of the anthrax spore immunome in humans immunized with the anthrax vaccine adsorbed preparation.

We identified spore targets of Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA)-induced immunity in humans by screening recombinant clones of a previously generated, limited genomic Bacillus anthracis Sterne (pXO1(+), pXO2(-)) expression library of putative spore surface (spore-associated [SA]) proteins with pooled sera from human adults immunized with AVA (immune sera), the anthrax vaccine currently approved for use by humans in the United States. We identified 69 clones that reacted specifically with pooled immune sera but not with pooled sera obtained from the same individuals prior to immunization. Positive clones expressed proteins previously identified as localized on the anthrax spore surface, proteins highly expressed during spore germination, orthologs of proteins of diverse pathogens under investigation as drug targets, and orthologs of proteins contributing to the virulence of both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens. Among the reactive clones identified by this immunological screen was one expressing a 15.2-kDa hypothetical protein encoded by a gene with no significant homology to sequences contained in databases. Further studies are required to define the subset of SA proteins identified in this study that contribute to the virulence of this pathogen. We hypothesize that optimal delivery of a subset of SA proteins identified by such studies to the immune system in combination with protective antigen (PA), the principal immunogen in AVA, might facilitate the development of defined, nonreactogenic, more-efficacious PA-based anthrax vaccines. Future studies might also facilitate the identification of SA proteins with potential to serve as targets for drug design, spore inactivation, or spore detection strategies.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Insertions, deletions, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms at rare restriction enzyme sites enhance discriminatory power of polymorphic amplified typing sequences, a novel strain typing system for Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Polymorphic amplified typing sequences (PATS) for Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) was previously based on indels containing XbaI restriction enzyme sites occurring in O-island sequences of the O157 genome. This strain-typing system, referred to as XbaI-based PATS, typed every O157 isolate tested in a reproducible, rapid, straightforward, and easy-to-interpret manner and had technical advantages over pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). However, the system was less discriminatory than PFGE and was unable to differentiate fully between unrelated isolates. To overcome this drawback, we enhanced PATS by using another infrequently cutting restriction enzyme, AvrII (also known as BlnI), to identify additional polymorphic regions that could increase the discriminatory ability of PATS typing. Referred to as AvrII-based PATS, the system identified seven new polymorphic regions in the O157 genome. Unlike XbaI, polymorphisms involving AvrII sites were caused by both indels and single-nucleotide polymorphisms occurring in O-island and backbone sequences of the O157 genome. AvrII-based PATS by itself provided poor discrimination of the O157 isolates tested. However, when primer pairs amplifying the seven polymorphic AvrII sites were combined with those amplifying the eight polymorphic XbaI sites (combined PATS), the discriminatory power of PATS was enhanced. Combined PATS matched related O157 isolates better than PFGE while differentiating between unrelated isolates. PATS typed every O157 isolate tested and directly targeted polymorphic sequences responsible for differences in the restriction digest patterns of O157 genomic DNA, utilizing PCR rather than relying on gel electrophoresis. This enabled PATS to resolve the ambiguity in PFGE typing, including that arising from the "more distantly related" and "untypeable" profiles.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗